Drivers may still face cameras at red lights

Traffic backs up at the red light at the intersection of Haywood and Pelham roads Wednesday night. Greenville police describe the intersection as one of the worst for red-light runners. Patrick Collard/Staff e-mail this story print this story More details What's next for red-light legislation The bill will go to the contested calendar where it must be taken up by the full Senate of the regular order of business. Almost 32 percent of Greenville city's 4,898 traffic collisions in 2004 occurred at intersections. Of those 1,462 intersection collisions 225 of them were blamed on red-light running. The top five city intersections for accidents in 2004 were: 1. Wade Hampton Boulevard/North Pleasantburg Drive: 25 2. Pleasantburg Drive/Villa Road: 20 3. Pleasantburg Drive/Faris Street: 18 4. Augusta Road/Mauldin Road: 18 5. Pleasantburg Drive/Antrim Drive: 18 What to do in an accident Call 911 Do not move vehicle until police arrive Make sure you have up-to-date insurance information in your car Related Related stories: • Cameras help cities seize cars of tax delinquents Previous coverage • Drivers won't face red-light photos • Camera may nab red-light runners Related Web site • Read the bill

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"It's like a yellow light means to speed up," she said.

Shimel would like to have cameras monitoring intersections, an idea that resurfaced Wednesday when the state Senate Transportation Committee passed a bill that would allow municipalities to install cameras at traffic lights.

The committee prevented an almost identical bill from reaching the full Senate a week ago, voting it down over concerns that traffic cameras might be tempting revenue sources for small towns, and people accused of breaking the law wouldn't have enough protections.

The difference is the current bill applies only to cities with 20,000 or more residents.

Greenville Police Chief Willie Johnson called Wednesday's vote a victory for law enforcement and residents because, if it becomes law, he said South Carolina roads will be safer.

"Hopefully, this will make people think twice before speeding up when the light turns yellow," Johnson said.

City police say cameras are needed at intersections to help patrol officers who are spread too thin, Johnson said. There are 215 traffic lights in the city and only 185 officers.

"The technology will help us greatly because there aren't enough men," he said.

Police review the images, and if they see a violation, they write a citation for the vehicle's owner. If someone other than the owner was driving the car, it would be up to the owner to make that clear.

Fines would be capped at $100, and couldn't be put on the driver's record or be used to raise insurance rates.

Clemson student Amanda Santa Maria said she could see confusion arising if a person driving someone else's car ran a light. "I think there has to be a better way of doing it," she said.

She and fellow student Beth Caswell got in a lively discussion over the pros and cons of red-light cameras Wednesday. Caswell said she has seen the cameras in Atlanta, and they appeared to be a deterrent.

"It kind of scares people into not doing it, but I don't know how much they actually work," she said.

Other Upstate residents said the cameras are long overdue. The legislation would allow local governments to install camera systems at intersections and provided rules for their use. Cameras are being used in 20 states and the District of Columbia.

Tiffany Sully and Esethia Abrams pointed to two cars that ran a red light at Main and McBee streets downtown Wednesday.

"You see people run lights all the time," Abrams said. "It's dangerous.

Shimel, a retiree, said she sees cars run red lights almost every time she gets to an intersection, and it scares her. "When your light turns green, it doesn't mean you can go," she said.

Though the type of systems vary, the cameras take pictures of drivers who run red lights, usually from multiple angles and with multiple photos.

Last year, 57 people were killed and 4,264 injured in accidents where the primary factor was disregarding stop signs or lights, according to state safety officials.

Nationwide, 40 percent of accidents occur in intersections, safety officials said, with traffic light violations blamed for 229,000 wrecks that killed 950 people and injured 200,000 in 2002, the most recent figures available.

Mac Tippins said he almost became a statistic as he walked his dogs Sirius and Nick-Nick across Main Street a few weeks ago. A car ran the red light and nearly hit him, he said.

While opponents argue that red-light cameras pose an invasion of privacy, Tippins isn't worried about his rights being violated.

"Anything that will serve as a deterrent will be a help," he said. "It's for the overwhelming public safety."